Attorney General won’t say whether governor not living in Governor’s Mansion violates law

By David McGrath Schwartz

Wednesday, April 30, 2008 | 4:09 p.m.

The fact that marital problems are keeping Gov. Jim Gibbons from livingin the Governor's Mansion in Carson City has caused some consternation.

Nevada law says the governor must "keep his office and reside at the seat of government."

So is Gibbons breaking the law by living in Reno while First Lady Dawn Gibbons lives in the Governor's Mansion?

Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto will not say.

In a written response to the Sun, the Attorney General's office said it has not interpreted the state law and whether the governor's current residential situation might violate it.

"While we appreciate your request for a legal interpretation of this provision, we do not provide legal analysis for the press. This office also does not discuss our interactions with our clients," said the statement from Cortez Masto spokeswoman Nicole Moon.

The Attorney General's client, in this case, would be Gibbons.

Moon noted that the Attorney General's office is prohibited by state law from making legal interpretations requested by members of the public.

So it seems that Gibbons would have to ask the Attorney General whether he is breaking the law a highly unlikely scenario.